Product with incorporated operation display panel

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a product with an operation display panel incorporated therein, which naturally harmonizes with the environment to not create visual noise for a user and allow the user to operate the operation display panel intuitively while feeling a natural material. A thin layer, made of a natural wood, natural fiber, natural leather, or natural stone, or a resin, synthetic fiber, synthetic leather or artificial stone created by imitating the appearance and touch of a natural material, is provided on the peripheral surface of a housing so that the thin layer covers at least the entire front surface of a display panel. A touch sensor incorporated comes in contact with the front surface of the panel. The thickness of the thin layer and the luminance of the panel are designed to allow the user to view the content displayed on the panel.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application incorporates by reference the entirety of, andclaims priority to, U.S. Pat. Application 16471005 filed 19 Jun. 2019,PCT application PCT/JP2018/040206 filed 29 Oct. 2018, and PCTapplication PCT/JP2017/039017 filed 28 Oct. 2017.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an operation display device mounted ona controller of a home appliance, a display of an electronic device, ora movable body such as an automobile.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, information communication technology has undergoneremarkable progress. In the past, personal computers were used only inlimited spaces such as homes and offices, but with the spread ofsmartphones and tablet terminals, today, it has become possible foranyone to live a highly convenient life using the Internet and so on.Also, from the viewpoint of the Internet of Things (IoT) , new productsusing the Internet are being developed one after another for homeappliances and the like that had not been conventionally connected tothe Internet. Thus, the Internet and products using the Internet havealready become indispensable to people’s lives, and they are installedor carried everywhere and used by many people.

However, while people can enjoy a very convenient life by having allkinds of electronic devices existing around them, there are many peoplewho feel stressed about living surrounded by electronic devices.

For example, a hotel that treasures the warmth of natural trees can besaid to be providing a high-quality space where guests can relax andforget their work etc. However, if there are a large number ofelectronic devices, displays or controllers having inorganic forms insuch guest rooms, it will not be possible for guests to forget dailylife and relax sufficiently.

Conventionally, as a product utilizing natural wood, there is known adigital watch wherein time emerges in the grain. This is obtained bylaminating a thin plate on the surface of a digital watch, whichprovides a feel of a texture in which the warmth of wood is felt (seeNon-Patent Document 1).

However, since a clock is only a clock after all and the time is alwaysdisplayed even when it is not necessary to check the time as long as thepower is in the on-state, this unavoidably becomes a visual noise forthe user. In addition, a display device here is only a display device,and it is impossible for the user to operate any such device whilefeeling the warmth of natural wood by touching the surface of the wood.

Display devices and electronic apparatus furnished with the displaydevices that secure external visibility and improved designability areknown. (Refer to, for example, Patent Document 1). The designability ofthe display device here under off-state is improved by hiding the LEDinside the device and thus making it difficult to see the LED from theoutside of the device by arranging an opaque layer or a half mirrorlayer between the translucent member and the light emitter.

Namely, the display device and the electronic device disclosed in PatentDocument 1 is not furnished with a member for enhancing thedesignability on the surface of the article in consideration of theharmony with the space, etc. but for hiding the LED that is the lightemitting element to improve the designability.

In addition, as an example wherein a display function is installed on anarticle that does not function as a luminous body, a rearview mirror inwhich light such as an LED is displayed on a mirror surface of arearview mirror of a car is known. (Refer to, for example, PatentDocument 2). This consists of a radiated light emission display devicefor generating radiated light through a mirror plated disposed at therear of the mirror plate of the rearview mirror. Accordingly, it can besaid at least that this structure does not make one aware of itsexistence when the radiated light emission display does not emit light.

However, the rearview mirror disclosed in Patent Document 2 merelyimproves the convenience during driving, not being something thatrelaxes the user by using a material derived from nature and the like.

Further, a wooden decorative article wherein a veneer is disposed on thefront side and a synthetic resin is disposed on the back side is known.(Refer to Patent Document 3)

This is a decorative item made of an integrated piece of sliced woodveneer and a synthetic resin, which can be said to give the warmth ofwood. Further, a configuration wherein LED elements and such aredisposed at the rear surface side of the substrate is also disclosed.

However, it is known that the wooden decorative article disclosed inPatent Document 3 can perform predetermined displays utilizing the LEDbut does not provide the user with certain operability of an apparatusby intuitively touching.

Furthermore, as an apparatus considering the harmony and such with aspace, an apparatus for displaying contents for viewers in the viewerspace is known (see Patent Document 4). This performs content display onthe display from different directions.

However, even the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 4 does notprovide user the ability to operate any device by just touching.

Moreover, an interface for interior parts in a motor vehicle including afascia formed from a veneer of wood is known (Refer to Patent Document5). This includes a layer formed by a polycarbonate film on a veneer,which enables display and operate without impairing the texture of thewood.

However, in the interface disclosed in Patent Document 5, the part thatreceives the operation input is a switch located on the rearmost panelin the same manner as the light emitting element, which does not enableintuitive operation such as scrolling.

Further, an article furnished with a display structure whose presencedoes not cause consciousness of its own presence in its non-displayedstatus is known. (See, for example, Patent Document 6)

This article has a light emitting display element between a front casemember having a translucent opaque coating film formed on the front sideof a transparent substrate and a light emitting display element disposedon the back side of the front case member. A dark-colored member has alight guide hole formed corresponding to the light-emitting portion ofthe above structure, which ensures visibility in the display state, butdoes not make one conscious of the display structure in the non-displaystate.

However, the article provided with the display structure disclosed inPatent Document 6 does not use a natural material such as wood as anopaque coating film having translucency, and thus it is difficult tobring about the relaxing effect for the user in a non-display state.

Prior Art Patent Literature

-   [Patent literature 1] JPA2004-354478-   [Patent literature 2] JPA2000-238579-   [Patent literature 3] US7097913-   [Patent literature 4] US9013515-   [Patent literature 5] US2009-0058118-   [Patent literature 6] JPA2007-206577

Non-Patent Literature

[Non-patent literature 1] STYLE STORE’s homepage, “Mysterious clock withtime in the woody texture”(http://stylestore.jp/item/BF026-00-0010-0035/)

OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION Problems to Be Solved by the Invention

In view of such a situation, it is an object of the present invention toprovide an article having an operation display panel being incorporatedtherein, and not becoming visual noise for the user, by harmonizingnaturally with a space, and when the user wants to use it or when theneed to operate it arises, the panel is intuitively operable while alsofeeling to the touch like natural materials.

Means to Solve the Objects

In order to solve the problems mentioned above, the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of the present invention is configured with adesign wherewith the thickness of a thin layer and the panel brightnessare designed so that contents displayed on the panel concerned can bevisually recognized, with the thin layer being made of a wood derivedfrom nature, a natural fiber, a natural leather or a natural stone, or aresin, synthetic fiber, synthetic leather or artificial stone producedto mimic natural appearance, the thin layer being arranged on acircumference surface of the housing so that the thin layer at leastcovers the whole display panel, with a touch sensor integrated at thecircumference surface of the housing.

A natural touch feeling can be realized by using a naturally-derivedmaterial or a material generated by imitating an appearance and touch ofnature. Therefore, a polymer material such as a resin can also be usedas the material of the thin layer as long as it realizes a naturalappearance and has a natural touch feeling. Since the resin is easy tomold, there is an advantage in that a thin layer having athree-dimensionally complicated shape can be produced. Here, the polymermaterial refers to a material having a large molecular weight, andrefers to a polymer obtained by polymerizing a monomer, or a compoundhaving a large molecular weight such as a natural polymer. Moreover,when using resin in an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel, it ispreferable that an insulating resin with high dielectric constant isused.

In addition, the display panel furnished with a touch sensor allows theuser to directly touch a naturally-derived material and the like tooperate intuitively. Here, a touch sensor is attached to substantiallythe entire surface of a panel, and can realize a function in which theuser can intuitively perform an operation such as tapping or scrollingby touching directly with a finger. Some embodiments include atransparent conductive film having a touch panel.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, the thin layer preferably has a light transmittance in therange of 1 to 50%, more preferably 5 to 20%, still more preferably 8 to15%, and further more preferably, it is 9 to 11%. Here, the lighttransmittance refers to the visible light transmittance, and indicatesthe value of the transmittance (%) of light having a wavelength of 380to 780 nm.

Also, the thin layer is a veneer or plywood made of wood, or a substrateobtained by molding wood chips, and preferably has a thickness in therange of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

By setting this kind of range, it becomes possible to prevent the rearmember from being seen in non-display time while securing visibility atthe time of display.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, in the case of wood, it is possible to select from sycamorewood, maple wood, cherry wood or walnut wood, but it is not limited tothis selection. When selecting wood, it is preferable to select from theviewpoint of thinness of grain, fineness of grain, fineness of conduitand easy availability.

In an article incorporating an operation display panel of the presentinvention, the thin layer may be a woven or non-woven substrate composedof natural fibers.

By using a base material made of woven fabric or nonwoven fabriccomprised of a natural fiber, the article can be made to be excellent intexture and provide a beautiful interior. Also, synthetic fibers thatmimic the natural appearance and feel can be used. Here, in the wovenfabric composed of natural fibers or synthetic fibers, it is possible tocontrol the translucency of the thin layer by selecting the roughness ofthe weave and the thickness of the fibers.

In an article incorporating an operation display panel described in thepresent invention, a transparent protective layer is preferably providedon the front surface of the thin layer. Since the operation displaypanel-incorporated in an article is directly touched by the user in itsuse, scratches and dirt may be inflicted. Infliction of scratches anddirt can be prevented by providing a transparent protective layer on thefront surface of the thin layer. Here, as a material of the transparentprotective layer, a urethane based paint, a polyester based paint, aphenol resin based paint, an acrylic resin based paint or the like canbe used.

In an article incorporating an operation display panel described in thepresent invention, a transparent reinforcing layer may be provided onthe back surface of the thin layer. By providing the transparentreinforcing layer on the back surface of the thin layer, the strength ofthe thin layer can be improved. As a material of a transparentreinforcement layer, polyvinyl chloride films and polyolefin films suchas polyethylene and polypropylene, for example, can be used.

In an article incorporating an operation display panel described in thepresent invention, the panel is preferably furnished with, at least, atransparent base material, a transparent conductive sheet, a lightemitting element array having light emitting element which is2-dimensionally arrayed, and a light guide for guiding the lightemitting direction of the light emitting element. By disposing a lightguide, the visibility of the display can be improved. Here, as thetransparent base material, poly-carbonate resin, poly-ethyleneterephthalate, acrylic resin, poly-acetal resin, poly-sulfonic resin,poly-phenylene sulfide resin and so on can be used.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, the light guide is an opaque dark color base materiallaminated on the substrate of the light emitting element array enclosingthe entire light emitting element array, and preferably through holesare disposed along the optical axis of each light emitting element. Byproviding the through holes along the optical axis of each lightemitting element, the visibility at the time of light emission can beimproved. As a dark color base material substrate, a black base materialis suitably used.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, it is preferable that the diameter of the through hole of thelight guide is equal to or larger than the diameter of the lightemitting area of the light emitting element, and the aspect ratio is inthe range of 0.5 to 3.0. By setting the range as described here, thevisibility at the time of light emission can be improved.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, the panel is composed of a transparent substrate, atransparent conductive sheet, a light guide and a light emitting elementarray which are sequentially laminated, the transparent substrate andthe transparent conductive sheet are in close contact and a gap ispreferably provided between the transparent conductive sheet and thelight guide. This is due to the fact that, when the transparentconductive sheet and the light guide are in close contact with eachother, the stress applied to the transparent conductive sheet may varywhen the operation display panel is operated, which may cause amalfunction.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, in the panel, a transparent conductive sheet, a transparentbase, a light guide, and a light emitting element array are sequentiallylaminated, and the transparent conductive sheet and the transparent basemay be in close contact with each other. When the transparent conductivesheet, the transparent base, the light guide, and the light emittingelement array are sequentially laminated, stress unevenness on thetransparent conductive sheet generated by adherence of the transparentconductive sheet and the light guide, as mentioned before, does notoccur.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, it is preferable that light emitting elements of the lightemitting element array and the through holes of the light guide have thesame pattern and they both are arranged at the same pitch, and the pitchinterval is 5 mm or less. By making the arrangement pattern and thepitch of the light emitting elements of the light emitting array andthrough holes of the light guide the same, visibility is improvedeffectively for all the light emitting elements by the light guides.

An operation display panel-incorporated article of the present inventionand all the constituents thereof, such as the transparent substrate, thetransparent conductive sheet, the light guide, and the substrate of thelight emitting element array, may be flexible. Thereby, an operationdisplay panel-incorporated article of various shapes can be produced.Note that the thin layer can be said to be naturally flexible withrespect to thin wood plates, fibers, and leather.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, the whole or a part of the outer peripheral surface of thecasing may have a curved shape, and the panel may be incorporated insuch a way as to abut on the curved surface. Here, the curved surfaceshape broadly includes a curved shape, a bent shape, and the like, andfurther includes a plurality of different curved shapes, and a shape inwhich a bent shape is formed in a complicated manner. In addition, aplurality of operation display panel-incorporated articles may beincorporated along a curved surface shape.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, a panel control unit that controls the panel determines datafrom the touch sensor and drives the light emitting element arrayaccording to the display content of the display panel based on thedetermination result, or data from the touch sensor is determined, andthe light emitting element array is driven according to the displaycontent of the display panel based on the determination result. At thesame time, data is transmitted to the outside through wiredcommunication or wireless communication, or alternatively, data from theoutside is received via wireless communication, and the light emittingelement array is driven according to the display content of the displaypanel based on the determination result of the received data. With sucha configuration, it becomes possible not only that the light emittingelement array be driven according to the user’s operation, but also thatthe external device be operated or data be received from the outsidewithout the user’s operation.

An operation display panel-incorporated article of the present inventionfurther includes a speaker, and a panel control unit controlling thepanel determines data from the touch sensor and outputs a sound signalto the speaker based on the determination result. Or alternatively,external data may be received via wired or wireless communication, and asound signal may be output to the speaker based on the determinationresult of the received data. By furnishing the speaker, the user’sconvenience can be improved; for example, the user’s attention isprompted by sound, or the user can feel the touch operation by feelingthe sound.

An operation display panel-incorporated article of the present inventionfurther furnishes a microphone, and the panel control unit forcontrolling the panel discriminates sound data received from themicrophone, and drives a light emitting element array, according displaycontent to the display panel based on the discrimination result, orsound data from the microphone is discriminated and the light emittingelement array is driven according display content to the display panelbased on the discrimination result, and data may be transmitted to theoutside through wired or wireless communication. By furnishing themicrophone, voice input operation is enabled, and the convenience of theuser is improved.

An operation display panel-incorporated article of the present inventionis configured with a thin layer composed of a wood derived from nature,a natural fiber, a natural leather or a natural stone, or a resin whichis a material produced to mimic a natural appearance and touch,synthetic fiber, a thin layer made of synthetic leather or artificialstone, and a display panel with a touch sensor, a panel control unitthat controls the panel, and a housing. The thin layer has a lighttransmittance in the range of 1 to 50% and is disposed at an outerperipheral surface of the housing in such a way that the thin layer atleast covers the whole area of the panel front surface, is incorporatedto the outer surface of the housing, and abuts to the panel frontsurface. The panel is configured with a transparent base material, atransparent conductive sheet, a light emitting element array withdimensionally arranged light emitting devices and a light guide forguiding the light emitting direction of the light emitting element, eachbeing laminated, having a brightness allowing one to visually recognizethe displayed contents.

An operation display panel-incorporated article of the present inventionis configured with a thin layer composed of a wood derived from nature,a natural fiber, a natural leather or a natural stone, or a resin whichis a material produced to mimic a natural appearance and touch,synthetic fiber, a thin layer made of synthetic leather or artificialstone, and a display panel with a touch sensor, a panel control unitthat controls the panel, and a housing. The thin layer has a lighttransmittance in the range of 1 to 50% and is disposed at an outerperipheral surface of the housing in such a way that the thin layer atleast covers the whole area of the panel front surface, is incorporatedto the outer surface of the housing, and abuts to the panel frontsurface, and possesses a thickness that allows one to visually recognizethe contents displayed on the panel.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, the panel may also constitute all or a part of a componentaiming at objectives of the movable body, for displaying for the userand/or for operation by the user.

Movable bodies are often used for people to move or carry things, andthe interiors often have a cold inorganic flavor. Therefore, by usingthe panel for display and also for operation in the movable body, it ispossible to obtain a configuration that provides a natural appearanceand touch. In the movable body, since the durability is required to behigh from the viewpoint of safety, a resin is preferable as the thinlayer.

Note that the movable body here means not only vehicles such as cars andrailroad cars but also all movable objects such as airplanes,helicopters and ships. In addition, the movable body is not limited toone on which a person can ride, and may be one operated by a person fromoutside such as a drone, for example.

In addition, the user is not limited to a crew who performs an operationsuch as driving or a passenger who does not perform a driving operation,but a person who visually recognizes what is displayed in or on themovable body or touches and operates the movable body is also widelyincluded. Thus, for example, in the case of an airplane, not only crewmembers such as pilots or passengers but also maintenance personnel andothers not limited to direct users of travel are included. In addition,in the case of a drone, not only the drone pilot but also those whovisually recognize what is displayed at the drone exterior or touch thedrone to operate it are widely included.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, the panel may constitute the whole or a part of an instrumentpanel in a vehicle. In general, in vehicles such as automobiles,interiors are often of inorganic things. Therefore, to form theinstrument panel in the vehicle, the panel can be made an instrumentpanel that provides a natural appearance and touch. In a vehicle, sincedurability is required to be high from the viewpoint of safety, a resinproduced by imitating the natural appearance and touch is preferable, asthe thin layer.

In an operation display panel-incorporated article of the presentinvention, the panel may constitute all or part of at least one of adoor trim and an armrest for a vehicle. By making a door trim or anarmrest for a vehicle with the panel, the panel can provide a naturalappearance and touch, and the door or armrest can be highly convenient.

Here, the door trim is a lining component on the door interior side.Further, the armrest may include not only an armrest provided at thecenter of the front seat or rear seat but also a door armrest. Also, thedoor arm rest includes not only a portion used for the armrest but alsoa portion where the power window switch is provided. Further, in avehicle, since durability is required to be high from the viewpoint ofsafety, a resin produced by imitating natural appearance and touch ispreferable as the thin layer.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

According to the operation display panel-incorporated article of thepresent invention, there is an effect that the article here does notbecome a visual noise for the user, by harmonizing naturally with thespace, and when the user wants to use it or needs it, it is possible tooperate intuitively while feeling the touch, and it is possible torealize a high quality indoor living space and a natural outdoor space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a configuration image of an operation displaypanel-incorporated article of an Embodiment 1.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 1.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of an Embodiment 2.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of an Embodiment 3.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of an Embodiment 4.

FIG. 7 shows an adhesion image diagram of a wood veneer and atransparent base material of an Embodiment 5.

FIG. 8 shows an adhesion image diagram of the wood veneer and thetransparent substrate of an Embodiment 6.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle of an Embodiment 7.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of the Embodiment 7.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of an Embodiment 8.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an operation displaypanel-incorporated article of the Embodiment 8.

FIG. 13 shows an enlarged explanatory view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of the Embodiment 8.

FIG. 14 shows a network configuration diagram using the operationdisplay panel-incorporated article of the first embodiment.

FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of an Embodiment 9.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 9.

FIG. 17 shows an enlarged explanatory view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 9.

FIG. 18 shows a schematic image view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of an Embodiment 10.

FIG. 19 shows an enlarged explanatory view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 10.

FIG. 20 shows a schematic image view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of an Embodiment 11.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail belowwith reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited tothe following embodiments and examples shown in the figures, and thepresent invention can be variously changed in design.

Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 shows a configuration image of an operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 1 , theoperation display panel-incorporated article 1 is composed of a plate 2,a transparent base 3, a touch panel sheet 4 as a transparent conductivefilm, a light guide 5 and an LED array 6 as a light emitting elementarray. It is sequentially laminated. The plate 2 is located on the outersurface of the operation display panel-incorporated article, and the LEDarray 6 is configured to be located inside the article. A large numberof LED light sources 7 are two-dimensionally arranged in the LED array6. The light guide 5 guides the light emission direction of each LEDlight source 7 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate of theLED array 6. Guide holes 5 a, in the same number as the number of LEDlight sources 7, are provided.

In FIG. 1 , for convenience of explanation, although not all LED lightsources are shown, the LED array 6 is configured of, for example, atotal of 6400 LED light sources with 32 vertical by 200 horizontal. OneLED light source is composed of planar mounting type LEDs. A point lightsource is realized by the light of one LED light source, and this can beregarded as one dot, and one character or pattern can be represented by8 × 8 dots or 16 × 16 dots. For example, in the case of the LED array 6having 6400 LED light sources, a 22-character by 3-line sentence can beexpressed. Here, as the LED light source, for example, one with a sizeof 2 mm × 2 mm and 700 to 1000 mcd (Millicandela) is used.

The light guide 5 plays a role of making a character or a pattern formedof light emitted from the LED light source 7 clearly visible through theplate 2. Namely, when the light guides 5 are stacked on the LED array 6,a large number of guide holes 5 a are arranged in accordance with thearrangement of the LED light sources 7 so that the guide holes 5 a arearranged immediately above each respective LED light source 7.

Selection of Wood Veneer

A Sycamore material is used for the wood veneer 2. In selecting aveneer, a comparative experiment was conducted using a plurality ofwoods, and a qualitative evaluation was performed. The species of woodto be subjected to comparative experiments was selected on the basis ofthinness of grain, fineness of grain, fineness of conduit and easinessof availability. Those with a thin grain are those with unclear wintergrain. In addition, the reason for using thin conduits as the selectionitem is that when the conduits are thick, the conduits appear likefissures, which appears to direct light from light source leaks,resulting in a reduction of visibility.

As a result of selecting wood species for comparative experiments basedon the selection criteria described above, sycamore, quercus, oak, zebrawood, cherry, mahogany, maple and walnut were selected. These woods wereirradiated with LED light with a luminous intensity of 700 mcd toevaluate the transmittance.

Table 1 below qualitatively shows the results of comparative experimentswith the wood veneer. In the table, “⊚” indicates “very good”, “○”indicates “good”, “Δ” indicates “somewhat bad”, and “x” indicates “bad”.

TABLE 1 Sycamore Quercus Oak Zebra wood Cherry Mahogany Maple WalnutEvaluation ⊚ Δ Δ × O × O O

As shown in Table 1 above, firstly, with regard to Sycamore, it wasevaluated as “very good” because the light transmittance was as high asabout 10% and the appearance was good. The cherry, maple and walnut wereevaluated as “good” because they had high light transmittance but wereslightly inferior in appearance to Sycamore. In addition, for walnut andoak, the light leakage from the conduit was evaluated as “slightly bad”because the light leakage was somewhat severe. The zebra wood wasevaluated as “poor” because the wood grain is dark and light is nottransmitted. Mahogany was rated “bad” because the light leakage from theconduit was severe.

From the above, it was found that, among the tree species for which thecomparative experiment was performed, the Sycamore wood is suitable as aveneer of the present article.

Next, the structure after assembly of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article after assembly is described by referring toFIG. 2 .

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2 ,in the operation display panel-incorporated article 1, the plate 2, thetransparent base 3, the touch panel sheet 4, the light guide 5 and theLED array 6 are stacked in order from the top and adhered to the housing8. Out of the light emitted from the LED light source 7 disposed on theLED array 6, the obliquely emitted light (9b, 9 c) is blocked by thelight guide 5, and the emitted light reaches the wood veneer 2 as astraight light like 9 a. Note that the housing 8 is mainly made of ABSresin.

The wood veneer 2 and the transparent substrate 3, or the transparentsubstrate 3 and the touch panel sheet 4 are bonded without providing agap. On the other hand, a gap G₁ is provided between the touch panelsheet 4 and the light guide 5. This is because the light guide 5 isprovided with the guide holes 5 a, and when the touch panel sheet 4 andthe light guide 5 are bonded, a stress variation occurs when operatingthe touch panel, which becomes a cause of a malfunction.

Also, a gap G₂ is provided between the light guide 5 and the LED lightsource 7. Since the number of LED light sources 7 provided in the LEDarray 6 and the number of guide holes 5 a provided in the light guides 5are several thousands, when the light guides 5 and the LED arrays 6 arestacked, there is a possibility that an arrangement error occurs. Whenthe light guide 5 and the LED array 6 are bonded in a state where anerror occurs, the light emitted from the LED light source 7 does notpass through the guide hole 5 a and an accurate display cannot beperformed. Therefore, by providing the gap G₂, it is possible to preventdeterioration of display quality caused by an error in the arrangementof the LED light source 7 and the guide hole 5 a. In addition, since thedisplay quality can be maintained even if there are some errors, themanufacture becomes easy.

Next, the relationship between an operation and the display of theoperation display panel-incorporated article will be described. FIG. 3shows a functional block diagram of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of the Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 3 , theoperation display panel-incorporated article 1 includes a touch panelunit 10, a control unit 20 and a display panel unit 30. Further, thecontrol unit 20 is provided with a touch panel operation detection unit21, a touch operation data determination unit 22, display data 23, adata processing unit 24, an LED drive output unit 25, and a datatransmission / reception unit 26. The data transmission / reception unit26 includes a data transmission unit 27 and a data reception unit 28.

When a user (not shown) performs an input operation on the touch panelunit 10, the touch panel operation detection unit 21 disposed in thecontrol unit 20 detects which position on the touch panel the user hastouched. The data processing unit 24 receives the display data 23 andsends the data to the touch operation data determination unit 22. Thetouch operation data determination unit 22 determines what operation theuser has performed based on the data obtained by the touch paneloperation detection unit 21 and the display data 23, and the touchoperation data obtained by the determination is sent to the dataprocessing unit 24.

The data processing unit 24 determines which LED is to be lighted inwhat way on the basis of the touch operation data determined by thetouch operation data determination unit 22, and transmits the determineddata to the LED drive output unit 25 for display on the display panelunit 30.

Further, the touch operation data sent to the data processing unit 24 issent from the data sending unit 27 to an external device 40 via themeans of communication 50. Thereby, the user can control the externaldevice 40 by operating the touch panel unit 10. Also, it is possiblethat the data receiving unit 28 receives data from the external device40 via the communication means 50, sends said data to the dataprocessing unit 24, and the data processing unit 24 determines which LEDis to be lighted in what way, and the determined data is transmitted tothe LED data drive output unit 25 and displayed on the display panelunit 30.

In the present embodiment, the communication means 50 performs wirelesscommunication. However, the present invention is not limited to this,and wired communication may be performed. Moreover, as an example of theexternal device 40, not only household appliances such as an airconditioner and a lighting fixture, but also a portable informationterminal such as a smartphone and a personal computer can be mentioned.

Unlike the present embodiment, the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle 1 and the external device 40 might not directly communicate witheach other, but could communicate with each other via an external serverby wired or wireless communication.

Such a configuration is described with reference to FIG. 14 . FIG. 14shows a network configuration diagram using the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the operation display panel-incorporated articles (1 a to 1 c) cancommunicate with the computer 52 via the Internet 51, respectively, andthe computer 52 is connected to the server 53 in a wired or wirelessmanner. Therefore, for example, position information of the operationdisplay panel-incorporated article (1a to 1 c) is registered in theserver 53 in advance, and daily weather forecasting is performed fromthe computer 52 via the Internet 51 based on the information concerned.It is possible to transmit communications to the incorporated articles(1a to 1 c) and display them on the display panel unit 30 of theoperation display panel-incorporated article (1 a to 1 c).

Note that the server 53 may be connected to the computer 52 via theInternet 51.

The LED display in the display panel unit 30 may be configured to beconstantly displaying, or may be configured to be switched on / off inresponse to some event.

As an example of an event for starting display, occasions such as touchinput by a user, a human body sensor that detects approach of someone, asensor disposed at a room door, automatic display at every constant timeor at a predetermined time, are considered. Furthermore, as an exampleof a displaying end event, it is conceivable that a certain time haselapsed for the display, that the operation is automatically terminatedat a specific time, or that the presence of a person is no longerrecognized by the human sensor.

The power source used for the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle 1 may be either a battery or an external power source.

Embodiment 2

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 2.

As shown in FIG. 4 , in the operation display panel-incorporated article100, unlike Embodiment 1, the veneer (or plate) 2 a, the touch panelsheet 4 and the transparent base material 3 are stacked in order fromthe top. The touch panel sheet 4 needs to be adhered to a base having asmall number of uneven surfaces in order to maintain the accuracy at thetime of touch panel operation. The transparent substrate 3 is bonded tothe touch panel sheet 4 as in Embodiment 1 because there are fewirregularities on the surface, and is bonded in the present Embodimentas well. By contrast, in Embodiment 1, the plate 2 and the touch panelsheet 4 are not in direct contact with each other, structurally.However, in the present embodiment, it is possible to bond to the touchpanel sheet 4 because the plate 2 a is made of wood with very fewirregularities on the surface.

In Embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 2 , since the plate 2, the transparentbase material 3, and the touch panel sheet 4 are stacked in order fromthe top, it was necessary to set a gap G₁ between the touch panel sheet4 and the light guide 5 to be stacked thereunder. However, in Embodiment2 as shown in FIG. 4 , the wood veneer 2 a, the touch panel sheet 4 andthe transparent substrate 3 are stacked in this order from the top, andit is unnecessary to provide a gap between the touch panel sheet and alight guide 5 to be stacked thereunder, in the configuration here.

Thereby, thickness reduction of the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle can be achieved.

Embodiment 3

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 3.

As shown in FIG. 5 , in the operation display panel-incorporated article101, unlike Embodiment 1, a cloth material 2 b is used instead of thewood veneer 2.

By using the cloth material 2 b, for example, the appearance and texturesimilar to the wallpaper of a room can be obtained, and an operationdisplay panel-incorporated article in which the user does not easilyfeel stress can be achieved.

Embodiment 4

FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 4.

As shown in FIG. 6 , in the operation display panel-incorporated article102, unlike Embodiment 1, a stone 2 c is used instead of the wood veneer2.

By using a stone veneer 2 c, the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle can be set as an operation display panel incorporating articlewith high quality interior characteristics.

Embodiment 5

FIG. 7 shows an adhesion image diagram of the wood veneer and thetransparent base material of Embodiment 5. As shown in FIG. 7 , theveneer (or plate) 2 and the transparent base 3 constituting theoperation display panel-incorporated article 103 are adhered by anadhesive 12. Urethane coating is applied to the surface of the plate 2to form a urethane layer 9, which prevents generation of scratches andadhesion of dirt.

Embodiment 6

FIG. 8 shows an adhesion image diagram of the veneer and the transparentsubstrate of Embodiment 6. As shown in FIG. 8 , the surface of theveneer 2 constituting the operation display panel built-in article 104is covered by urethane layer 9 formed by a urethane coating to preventgeneration of scratches and adhesion of dirt.

However, unlike Embodiment 5, a polyvinyl chloride film 11 is attachedto the back surface of the veneer 2 as a backing material using anadhesive 12 a. This is provided to reinforce the veneer 2. Since thepolyvinyl chloride film 11 is a material with high transparency, it ispossible to effectively reinforce the plate 2 with almost no influenceon the transmittance.

Furthermore, the veneer 2 and the transparent substrate 3 pasted withpolyvinyl chloride film 11 are adhered by an adhesive 12 b.

Embodiment 7

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle of Embodiment 7, (1) showing a perspective view from the front,and (2) showing a perspective view from the back.

As shown in FIG. 9 (1), the operation display panel-incorporated article105 is covered with the wood veneer 2 in a front view, and thus has ashape as if it were a single wooden board. An operation display panelunit 13 is disposed inside the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle 105. Here, the operation display panel unit 13 refers to the oneincluding the wood veneer 2, transparent base 3, the touch panel sheet4, the light guide 5 and the LED array 6 shown in FIG. 2 , with the woodveneer being eliminated therefrom. Note that the LED array 6 is providedwith a large number of LED light sources, 7 similar to Embodiment 1.

As shown in FIG. 9 (2), the wood veneer 2 is not attached to the backsurface of the operation display panel-incorporated article 105, and thehousing 8 is exposed.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 7, (1) showing a front view,and (2) showing an A-A sectional view. As shown in FIG. 10 (1) , theoperation display panel unit 13 is disposed inside the operation displaypanel-incorporated article 105. As shown in FIG. 10 (2), the housing 8is not in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and the portionwhere the operation display panel unit 13 is disposed is in an openstate. Although not shown, a touch control IC, a main microcomputer, awireless communication device, a power supply, and the like are providedinside the housing 8.

Embodiment 8

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 8. As shown in FIG. 11 , theoperation display panel-incorporated article 106 has a cylindricalshape. The plate 2 d is formed of a flexible material, and is stuck onan outer peripheral side surface of the housing 80 in a curved state. Inaddition, the transparent base material and touch panel sheet which arenot illustrated here are mentioned later.

The housing 80 also has a substantially cylindrical shape, but theportion where the operation display panel units (130 a to 130 c) aredisposed has an open shape.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 8, (1) showing a front view,and (2) showing a B-B sectional view. As shown in FIG. 12 (1), operationdisplay panel units (130 a to 130 c) are disposed inside the operationdisplay panel-incorporated article 106.

As shown in FIG. 12 (2), the operation display panel units (130 a to 130c) are arranged to emit light in the direction of the outer peripheralsurface from the axial center of the cylindrical operation displaypanel-incorporated article 106.

Next, by referring to FIG. 13 , the relationship among the operationdisplay panel units (130 a to 130 c), the plate 2 d, the transparentbase 3 d, the touch panel sheet 4 d, and the housing 80 in the operationdisplay panel-incorporated article 106 will be explained.

FIG. 13 shows an enlarged explanatory view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 8. As shown in FIG. 13 , theoperation display panel unit (130 a to 130 c) is composed of the lightguide 5 and the LED array 6, and the LED array 6 is provided with alarge number of LED light sources 7 as in Embodiment 1. While all theoperation display panel units (130 a to 130 c) have a flat board shape,the veneer 2 d, the transparent base 3 d, and the touch panel sheet 4 dhave a substantially cylindrical shape conforming to the outerperipheral surface of the housing 80 and stuck together in order.Therefore, a gap G₃ is provided between the veneer 2 d, the transparentbase 3 d, the touch panel sheet 4 d and the operation display panelunits (130 a to 130 c). Further, the gap between the operation displaypanel unit 130 a and the operation display panel unit 130 b, or betweenthe operation display panel unit 130 b and the operation display panelunit 130 c is to be comprised of a housing 80.

In the present embodiment, it is configured that sufficient visibilityand operability can be obtained even if the gap G₃ and the casing 80portion between the operation display panel units (130 a to 130 c) areprovided. However, by making the size of the operation display panelunits (130 a - 130 c) smaller and by mounting more operation displaypanel units, the range of the gap G₃ can be narrowed, or the casing 80portion between panel units (130 a - 130 c) can be reduced.

Further, in the present Embodiment, the operation display panel units(130 a to 130 c) are provided only at about a half circumference of thecylindrical shape, but display may be provided on the entire outerperipheral surface so as to cover the entire outer peripheral surface ofthe operation display panel-incorporated article 106.

As described above, by forming the cylindrical operation displaypanel-incorporated article, it is possible to obtain an article withhigh quality interior goods. In addition, the operation displaypanel-incorporated article 106 is not only high in the interiorcharacteristics due to using natural materials but also gives a goodtouch by using the curved-plate shaped wood veneer 2 d, and its texturecan be enjoyed at each operation and presents a high quality experienceto the user.

Embodiment 9

FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 9. As shown in FIG. 15 , theouter shape of the operation display panel-incorporated article 107 hasa cylindrical shape, like the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle 106 of Embodiment 8. The plate 2 d is formed of a flexiblematerial, and is stuck on the outer peripheral side surface of thehousing 80 in a curved state. In addition, the transparent base materialand touch panel sheet which are not illustrated here are mentionedlater.

The housing 80 also has a substantially cylindrical shape, but theportion where the operation display panel units (130 d -130 f) aredisposed has an opening shape.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 9, (1) showing a front view,(2) showing a C-C sectional view indicated in (1). As shown in FIG. 16(1), operation display panel units (130 d to 130 f) are disposed insidethe operation display panel-incorporated article 107.

As shown in FIG. 16 (2), the operation display panel units (130 d - 130f) are arranged to emit light in the direction of the outer peripheralsurface from the axial center of the cylindrical operation displaypanel-incorporated article 107.

Next, by referring to FIG. 17 , the relationships among the operationdisplay panel units (130 d to 130 f) and the plate 2 d, the transparentbase 3 d, the touch panel sheet 4 d, and the housing 80 in the operationdisplay panel-incorporated article are explained.

FIG. 17 shows an enlarged explanatory view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 9. As shown in FIG. 17 , theoperation display panel unit (130 d - 130 f) comprises a light guide 5 dand an LED array 6 d, and the LED array 6 d is provided with a largenumber of LED light sources 7 as in Embodiment 1. While all theoperation display panel units (130 a - 130 c) in Embodiment 8 have aflat board shape, in the operation display panel units (130 d - 130 f),both the light guide 5 d and the LED array 6 d being used are flexible,and unlike Embodiment 8, the operation display panel unit (130 d to 130f) has a curved shape that is matched to the outer peripheral surfaceshape of the casing 80, having a substantially cylindrical shape, andthe shape of the plate 2 d, the transparent base 3 d, the touch panelsheet 4 d, as thus disposed. In accordance with the shape of the sheet 4d, it has a curved shape and is thus disposed. Therefore, theconfiguration has high visibility and operability at the time ofdisplay.

In addition, although the space between the operation display panel unit130 d and the operation display panel unit 130 e, or the operationdisplay panel unit 130 e and the operation display panel unit 130 f isconfigured by the housing 80, the portion of the housing 80 amongoperation panel units (130 d - 130 f) may be configured to be reduced aslong as enough strength of the housing 80 can be obtained. By this,display range can be expanded and operability can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, operation display units (130 d - 130f) are provided only in approximately half of the cylindrical shape, butone may let the operation display unit cover the entire outer peripheralsurface of the panel-incorporated article 107, so that the display canbe made on the entire side surface.

Thus, by making the configuration of the operation display panel units(130 d to 130 f) flexible, it is possible to obtain an operation displaypanel-incorporated article with high visibility and operability.

Embodiment 10

FIG. 18 shows a schematic image view of an operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 10. As shown in FIG. 18 , theautomobile 14 is provided with a windshield 15 a, a seat 16, and aninstrument panel 17, and a driver 18 sits on the seat 16. In addition,as a part of the instrument panel 17, an operation displaypanel-incorporated article 108 is provided.

Unlike this configuration, the headrest of the seat 16 seen from therear seat (not shown), the back of the seat 16 and the ceiling of theautomobile 14 may be used as the operation display panel-incorporatedarticle. In addition, a component where a panel for controlling airconditioning and lighting is provided may be used as the operationdisplay panel-incorporated article.

FIG. 19 shows an enlarged explanatory view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 10. As shown in FIG. 19 , onthe surface of the operation display panel-incorporated article 108, aresin 2 e produced so as to mimic the appearance and touch of woodderived from nature is used. Since the resin 2 e has a curved surfaceshape in accordance with the shape of the instrument panel 17, aflexible material is used for the operation display panel units (130 gto 130 i) as in Embodiment 9.

Although not shown in detail here, the operation displaypanel-incorporated article 108 is not used at a location where aconstant display is required, such as a speedometer or a tachometer, butis configured to be used only for a place where constant display is notnecessary. Other places, such as a clock or watch, do not use it.

Embodiment 11

FIG. 20 shows a schematic image view of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article of Embodiment 11. As shown in FIG. 20 , a cardoor 60 is a door on the right side of a front seat of a car in general.The car door 60 is provided with a side glass 15 b, a door inner handle61, an operation display panel-incorporated article 109 which is a doortrim, and an operation display panel-incorporated article 110 which is adoor armrest.

The operation display panel-incorporated article 109 is provided withthe operation display panel unit 13 a, and the surface is covered with athin layer made of a resin 2 f. Since the operation display panel unit13 a is disposed between the side glass 15 b and the operation displaypanel-incorporated article 110 which is a door armrest, the display doesnot impede the other functions and when the display is not performed, itdoes not become a visual nuisance because the panel constitutes a partof the look of a usual door trim.

The operation display panel-incorporated article 110 is furnished withthe operation display panel unit 13 b, and the surface is covered with athin layer made of a resin 2 f. The operation display panel unit 13 b isgenerally disposed at a position where a power window switch isprovided, and by touching the operation display panel unit 13 b, theside glass 15 b can be opened and closed.

When the operation display panel-incorporated article (109, 110) isused, a means for preventing an accident by erroneous operation may bedisposed on the inside or the outside of the operation displaypanel-incorporated article (109, 110).

Although the thin layer provided in the operation displaypanel-incorporated article 109 and the thin layer provided in theoperation display panel-incorporated article 110 are both made of theresin 2 f, different resins may be used.

Other Embodiments

As shown in Embodiment 9, by making the operation display panel unitflexible, it becomes possible to incorporate the operation display panelunit into articles of various shapes. Therefore, for example, a chair, adesk, a table, a sofa, a bed, a rack, a shelf, a curtain, a knick-knackor the like used on a daily basis may be used as the operation displaypanel-incorporated article.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is useful as a controller of a home appliance, adisplay of an electronic device, or an operation display device mountedon a movable body such as a car.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1 a - 1 c, 100 - 110 Operation displaypanel-incorporated article 2, 2 a, 2 d Plate 2 b Cloth material 2 cStone 2 e, 2 f Resin 3, 3 d Transparent base 4, 4 d Touch panel sheet 5,5 d Light guide 5 a Guide hole 6, 6 d LED array 7 LED light source 8, 80Casing 9 Urethane layer 9 a - 9 c Light 10 Touch panel unit 11 Polyvinylchloride film 12, 12 a, 12 b Adhesive 13, 13 a, 13 b, 130 a - 130 iOperation display panel unit 14 Automobile 15 a Windshield 15 b Sideglass 16 Seat 17 Instrument panel 18 Driver 20 Control unit 21 Touchpanel operation detection unit 22 Touch operation data determinationunit 23 Display data 24 Data processing unit 25 LED drive output unit 26Data transmission / reception unit 27 Data transmission unit 28 Datareception unit 30 Display panel unit 40 External device 50 Communicationmeans 51 Internet 52 Computer 53 Server 60 Car door 61 Door inner handleG Gap

1. A device comprising: a display panel having a housing; a thin layerof wood of natural origin, natural fiber, natural leather, naturalstone, or a material which mimics at least one of the foregoing as toappearance and touch, the thin layer disposed on an outer surface of thehousing; a light emitting element array comprising light emittingelements; and a light guide configured to guide light in a lightemitting direction of the light emitting elements; wherein the device isconfigured to make a character or pattern visible on the thin layer, thecharacter or pattern formed of multiple dots, each dot realized by apoint light source of a corresponding one of the light emittingelements, individual point light sources being turned on or turned offto express the character or pattern.
 2. The device of claim 1, whereinthe thin layer has a thickness providing a light transmittance in therange of 8 to 15%.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the thin layer hasa thickness in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.
 4. The device of claim 1,wherein the thin layer comprises at least one of the following: a woodveneer, plywood, or molded wood chips.
 5. The device of claim 1, whereinthe light emitting element array comprises LEDs.
 6. The device of claim1, wherein the light guide comprises a base, wherein the base has holeswhich are disposed in an arrangement pattern, and the light emittingelements of the light emitting element array are arranged in the samearrangement pattern.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein holes of thelight guide are arranged at a pitch, the light emitting elements arearranged at the same pitch, and a pitch interval of the holes and thelight emitting elements is 5 mm or less.
 8. The device of claim 1,comprising a flexible light guide, and a flexible light emitting elementarray.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of thehousing has a non-planar curved shape.
 10. The device of claim 1,wherein the device is incorporated within at least one of the following:an instrument panel in a vehicle, a door trim in a vehicle, or anarmrest in a vehicle.
 11. The device of claim 1, further comprising atransparent protective layer on a front surface of the thin layer.
 12. Adevice comprising: a display panel having a housing; a thin layer ofnatural fiber, natural leather, natural stone, or a material whichmimics at least one of the foregoing as to appearance and touch, thethin layer being disposed on an outer surface of the housing; a lightemitting element array comprising light emitting elements; a light guidefor guiding the light emitting direction of the light emitting elements;and wherein the device is configured to make a character or patternvisible on the thin layer, the character or pattern formed of multipledots, each dot realized by the light of a corresponding one of the lightemitting elements.
 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device isincorporated within at least one of the following: an instrument panelin a vehicle, a door trim in a vehicle, or an armrest in a vehicle. 14.The device of claim 12, wherein the thin layer has a thickness providinga light transmittance in the range of 8 to 15%.
 15. The device of claim12, further comprising a transparent protective layer on a front surfaceof the thin layer.
 16. The device of claim 12, wherein the thin layerhas a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.
 17. The device of claim12, wherein the light guide comprises a base, wherein the base has holeswhich are disposed in an arrangement pattern, and the light emittingelements of the light emitting element array are arranged in the samearrangement pattern.
 18. The device of claim 17, wherein holes of thelight guide are arranged at a pitch, the light emitting elements arearranged at the same pitch, and a pitch interval of the holes and thelight emitting elements is 5 mm or less.
 19. A device comprising: adisplay panel having a housing; a thin layer which comprises at leastone of the following: woven natural fabric, or non-woven natural fabric,the thin layer being disposed on an outer surface of the housing; alight emitting element array comprising light emitting elements; and alight guide for guiding the light emitting direction of the lightemitting elements; and wherein the device is configured to make acharacter or pattern visible on the thin layer, the character or patternformed of multiple dots, individual dots of light are turned on or offto express a desired pattern, each dot realized by the light of acorresponding one of the light emitting elements.
 20. The device ofclaim 19, wherein the device is incorporated within at least one of thefollowing: an instrument panel in a vehicle, a door trim in a vehicle,or an armrest in a vehicle.